


Love letters from Marseilles

by eloquent_apollo



Series: Short stories [7]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Love Letters, M/M, Set in 1842, an attempt at the old timey writing style has been made
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:00:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26722558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eloquent_apollo/pseuds/eloquent_apollo
Summary: A series of letters from the 1840's, send between two lovers on the other side of the ocean. Jeremy Knox is a daguerreotypist from America, who is helplessly in love with a book binder from France. Luckily for him, this particular book binder is just as in love with him.orI just really love the concept of love letters.
Relationships: Jeremy Knox/Jean Moreau
Series: Short stories [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1835371
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Love letters from Marseilles

**Author's Note:**

> This has been in my WIPs for a very long time and I had completely forgotten about it, but recently stumbled upon it again. I plan on actually writing out a longer story about how Jeremy and Jean met and how they fell in love and such but I still really liked the love letters and decided to upload it! This is mostly bc of Kai lol, love u <3
> 
> Anyway this is un-beta'd and I kinda fixed it at 2 AM so sorry if there are grammar mistakes I missed! Also I tried to kinda get that old timey writing style across where they always sound super formal and I'm not sure how that comes across so let me know if u liked it!

Jeremy Knox is 24 years old, and doesn’t have many things to look forward to. He works as a daguerreotypist, taking pictures of families for a modest price. The cost of taking pictures is high, only those who are wealthy enough can come by more than once. Jeremy isn’t very fond of them, even if those customers give him the money he needs to survive. Not that the money of his parents hadn’t already given him enough to survive and much more.

When he arrives back home from his job, he is greeted by his servants, and his coat is immediately taken from him to be washed. He’s thankful, since the stormy weather has blown dirt up in his face all day. He asks for a bath to be drawn, and as he waits he goes to the living room he finds a couple of letters waiting for him. His heart starts to beat faster as he approaches, and takes the letters from the table. He looks through them quickly, and his heart skips a beat the moment he finds the neat cursive he’s been looking for. It was written by Jean of course, but it doesn’t have a stamp yet. He looks up at his servant who’s waiting for him by the door.

“Did we pay for this?” Jeremy asks. The servant responds with a nod, and Jeremy hums. He can’t wait to open it, but wants to do so in privacy. He tucks the letter into his pocket, and disappears upstairs. His bath is almost ready, and he thanks the young girl who’s been preparing it for him. When he is alone he undresses, and slips into the warm water with his letter in his hands. He takes a deep breath, waiting for his beating heart to calm itself down. When he reads the first few words however, his heart already starts beating loudly again. It aches to be back with Jean, and to hold him close.

_Mon Canard,_

_While I write this letter it has been a mere 2 hours since your departure, but it feels like I’ve had to miss your presence for days already. Venus misses you too, she still curls up on the chair where you sat daily, smoking your pipe while we talked. My bed will feel cold tonight, for you won’t be by my side to hold me. I miss your hands in my hair, your laugh, the way the early morning light illuminates your face when you slept soundly by my side. I may be but a book binder, but I believe the ghosts of poets possess me once I speak of you, for everything about you is a work of art. I could wax poetry about you, I could write sonnets dedicated to your beauty. I will spare you my poor attempt at this, however, for I am worried the embarrassment of it is enough to make me hide away from you for months to come._

_I hope your trip back to America went well. It must have been a truly horrible 6 weeks. I do not look forward to having to be on the ship myself. Yes, I am still thinking about that, mon chéri. I wish to see you as quickly as possible, and this letter will arrive 6 weeks after your departure. Do you know how much I will have to miss you while you are gone in those 6 weeks? I fear the lack of your presence will weight down on me, and will make me feel horribly upset. I can not wait to see you once again, mon trésor. Once I make it to America, you must take me to your work shop. Perhaps the two of us can make pictures to remember each other by? I won’t mind having to kiss you for the 20 seconds it takes for our daguerreotype to develop. I would kiss you for hours, if that’s what it took._

_Mon beau, do you remember our trip to the meadows of France? We were lucky to be alone so out in the open. I am glad you seemed to enjoy yourself so much, because it helped ease most of my worry. I did not wish for us to be caught, and so I worried and watched over my shoulder too much. I did not enjoy your presence as much as I had wished I could. You are my sunshine, Jeremy. I do not wish to ever miss out on it. When I visit you in America, you must take me to some of your meadows if you have them. I do not care if you don’t, it could be the mountains, the forest, you may even take me to the desserts, as long as we may be together. I just wish to hold you again in my arms as soon as possible._

_Yours truly,  
Jean Moreau._

Jeremy smiles, and places the letter carefully away. He doesn’t want for it to slip into the water. He’ll have to write a reply soon, because he shouldn’t let Jean wait much longer. He’s already thinking about his response and he feels himself smile at the thought of what he’ll write.

-

Jean considers himself a lucky fellow. He works a proper job as a book binder, a job he has loved ever since he began. It pays fairly well, but even despite the comfortable life he has built for himself there is only one thing he truly looks forward to. It takes about 6 weeks just to send a letter to America, and an additional 6 to get one back, but Jeremy’s letters are what makes waiting worth it. He’s in the middle of repairing an old book from a client, when the mailmen delivers the mail. He contemplates finishing the book first, but it’s been 12 weeks now, so surely a reply must be amongst the letters that arrived today. Jean doesn’t have any servants to collect the mail, so he does it himself. He could afford them of course, but he preferred doing household work himself. Jeremy and his father had laughed when he first told them, but that didn’t bother him. It only occasionally bothered him that he only had his cat, Venus was her name, for company. Especially now, after he had Jeremy over for weeks, the silence was deafening. He searches through the letters, and soon he finds the unmistakable messy handwriting that belongs to Jeremy. He smiles slightly, and takes the letter to the parlour. He lights an oil lamp, and sits down to read it.

_Mi Pedacito de universo,_

_I can not begin to explain how much I have missed both you and Venus. I miss how she curled up on my lap, or how she woke us both up in the morning. These 6 weeks alone were awful, and the weather on sea was truly so miserable I expected our ship to be delayed. Luckily the weather gave way, and we only arrived a day or 3 later than anticipated. If you come to America, I advise you to choose a sunny period. The ships are often pushed back an additional 6 weeks if the storms are too hard to sail through, and I do not wish for you to starve while on your way to me. Those ships are known for packing too little food for a 12 week journey, you see? Also, my dear, I know you are simply a book binder, but I would love to hear you wax poetry about me. And as for your request to take you to the meadows? My dear, you must only ask and I would take you anywhere you wish to go. You wish to go to the desserts and I would take you, and I would hold your hand the entire way. I would kiss your worries away, just like I did when we visited the meadows of France. Of course I noticed your worries, sweetheart. I know you. I can tell by the way you breathe what you need, and so I tried to kiss your worries away. I wanted you to be happy too. Mi Cuervo, I love you so much. I really wish you would come to America soon, so I do not need to miss you any more. It is awfully lonely here without you, even if I am surrounded by my servants. They are not you, or Venus, so it is hardly the same. Ah, but this also reminds me of a story I have been meaning to share with you. It is about my sister Miriam, of course. You remember her? She is quite the adventuress, really. She was with one of her friends when this particular tale happened. I did not know the other woman’s name, because my sister only referred to her as the church-bell. When I met her, I understood why. She was quite the church-bell indeed! She blathered like a bubbly-jock the entire time she was with us! Neither me nor Miriam got a word through. That is, until Miriam decided enough was enough. Jean, I am unable to even make up what she said next! If you had been there, you would have laughed, but I was quite mortified. It was also then that I learned the church-bells name was Karen. Anyway, to move along what I was telling, my sister said the following._

_“Karen, I must confess that I told my brother you were quite the church-bell. When I said this I first feared that it was inappropriate to do so, but I have found you to be even worse than that. I wish I never brought you into my brother’s home, for I am certain you have talked him deaf! Even I have never heard a woman talk as much as you have today, and about such trivial matters too! I must say, I doubt anyone could care as much about the introduction of stamps as you do!”_

_Like I said, I was mortified. I have never seen a lady look as offended as the church-bell did that day. She called Miriam a snaggletooth! Can you believe it? I couldn’t let a comment like that fly, especially not in my own home. However, before I could even tell her to leave Miriam called her a cumberworld. I must say I laughed at that, much to the church-bells dismay. Tell me, does this make me a rude person? I fear it does, but it was very funny in the moment. Regardless, I broke the fight up by offering her a ride home. One of my servants drove the church-bell home, and that was the last of her we have seen since then. I told Miriam she would never find a proper suitor which such strong words, but she told me she is not interested in marriage. It seems Miriam is insistent on becoming an old lonely woman, but I support her decision. If she wishes to marry out of love, or to marry never at all, I will accept this decision. I shall simply let her live with me as we grow old. This hopefully won’t be a problem to you, will it? Ah, well, it doesn’t matter. It is my sister, and she shall surely live with us. You would have done the same for your sisters, wouldn’t you?_

_As for going down to my workshop together, I am very saddened to tell you it has been closed down. Do not worry, it is only temporarily, for I am moving the studio to a bigger building. This gorgeous building was for sale, and I could not resist buying it. Once it is finished, I’ll take you into the studio and make a picture with you. I wouldn’t mind getting to kiss you there, either._

_I am excited to hear your response soon, my dearest._

_From yours truly,_

_Jeremiah Knox_

-

_Mon Canard,_

_Miriam never fails to amuse me. I can’t believe she called her a cumberworld, but from the story you told me it doesn’t seem she was too far off. I am sorry to hear your store is temporarily closed, I hope it will open up again soon. As for your request to me that I come and visit, I am saving up for passage to come and see you. Tell me a date, and I’ll be on my way. I am sorry that this letter isn’t going to be very long. I have been cooped up in my own workplace working on a gorgeous book. It is such a shame that the man who owns it is such a horrible man. I will tell you a bit about him, so you may understand why I am reluctant to meet him again once the book is done._

_On the first day, this man has managed to anger me greatly. He introduced himself as Riko Moriyama, but this name meant very little to me. He seemed to be insulted by that and asked me if I knew who he was. When I said that I did not know, he asked me if I was stupid. I was quite insulted indeed, and pointed him towards the door of my store. He left, but came back a week later with an old looking book. I don’t know what it is about, for it is written in Japanese. The book was in bad shape, but the man said he was sure it could be fixed. I may have overcharged him a bit due to him insulting me the other week, but he shall be none the wiser about this. I did thoroughly enjoyed working on the book, for it is a true beauty. It is a book that I’m certain dates back to the 1500’s! It will be done tomorrow, and the rude man shall come back. I do not wish to see him again, and I hope he shall be gone again soon._

_Oh, and my dearest, if Miriam wishes to live with the two of us, that is alright with me. I would have indeed done the same for my sisters._

_Je t’aime, mon soleil. I hope to see you again soon._

_Yours,_

_Jean Moreau._

_-_

_Mi pedacito de universe,_

_How about the 24 th of July? I wish to be able to see you again as soon as possible. As for the length of your letter, it is okay. Even if your letters are short, I am still happy to receive one. Mine won’t be of great length either, for I have come down with the flu. I have been bedridden for a few days now, and the strength is finally returning. Miriam insisted on coming by to watch over me, and although I told her many times not to fret about me, I am grateful to have her here. I despise being ill, for it is truly horrible to be bedridden this way. _

_As for my store, it was supposed to open soon but then I fell ill. If all is well I should be able to go down and open it again this weekend. I must end the letter here, for I feel too sick to write you any more. Hopefully, I shall be able to see you 13 weeks from now._

_Yours truly,_

_Jeremy._

Jean carefully folds the letter back into the envelope, before standing up to grab his coat. If he hurries to the docks, he might be able to find a ship willing to take him to America tomorrow night. He can’t wait to see Jeremy again, but he doesn’t look forward to the long trip on sea at all. Once on the docks, Jean finds himself to be lucky. There is a ship that has a spot left, and Jean arranges that he can come with the ship.

He thanks the man for letting him come on such short notice, and reminds himself to ask if his sister can watch Venus while he is gone. Once home, he gives her a couple scratches before heading upstairs to go to bed. Just a few more hours and he will be on his way back to see Jeremy.

**Author's Note:**

> Hehe love letters go brrrrrr 
> 
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](https://eloquent-apollo.tumblr.com/) if u liked this!


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